Chapters 21-30

The Apprenticeship Begins

Snape caught her after breakfast.

‘Miss Granger? I need to show you your new quarters. The house-elves have already moved your belongings. You may use the rest of the day to settle in.’

His voice had improved, Hermione noted. He spoke haltingly, the sounds hoarse and thin. But for all that she could understand him easily—every syllable was clearly enunciated. She smiled at him. She was so glad that her idea of calling in a Muggle speech therapist had worked out so well.

‘Thank you, sir.’

Snape frowned at her. ‘Well, come a–’ he started irritably, but his voice broke when he put too much pressure on the vowel, and he coughed painfully. ‘Come along,’ he whispered, glaring at her.

Hermione tried to keep her face impassive, remembering what McGonagall had told her. He doesn’t want pity—naturally, since he is a very proud man.

Following the professor as he swooped out of the Great Hall, Hermione sighed. Apprenticeship with Snape would not be easy for a Gryffindor used to basically wearing her heart out on her sleeve.

oooOooo

Hermione had suspected that Snape’s private rooms would be in the dungeons. She was not prepared for the fact that they were actually half a level above them, with wide windows and a beautiful view of the lake.

There were three entrances to the flight of rooms. At the southern end a stair descended to an age-darkened painting near Snape’s office, while the door at the opposite end opened to the Slytherin common room. Roughly in the middle, an archway led to a spiral staircase that could be accessed from the office.

Hermione’s room was at the southern end of the corridor, a spacious bedroom-and-study, with an adjacent bathroom. Next was a sitting room and library, followed by Snape’s study, a private potions laboratory, Snape’s bedroom and bathroom.

‘You will not enter my personal study or the private lab without my express permission. But you may feel free to peruse the library.’ A raised eyebrow seemed to indicate that anything else would have been an impossible demand from the resident Gryffindor bookworm, so he wouldn’t even attempt to make it. ‘Should you require anything, the house-elf appointed to me is Nag. I assure you I shall be very displeased should I discover that clothes have been provided for him in order to end his service.

‘As long as you are my apprentice, you shall wear Slytherin colours in public. You may, however, dress in colours of your choice when in the privacy of these chambers. A robe for tonight’s ceremony has been placed in your room.’

‘Yes, sir. Thank you, sir.’ Hermione’s face burned. Her failed crusade to liberate house-elves would probably haunt her for the rest of her life. And Slytherin colours? She winced mentally. She could just imagine what Ron would say.

‘A suitable amount of money for your personal needs will be deposited monthly in your Gringotts vault. I expect you to keep accounts in an orderly fashion, to be presented to me every quarter.’

‘Yes, sir.’

oooOooo

Hermione, resplendent in new black Apprentice robes with emerald-green border and lining, her wild curls sleeked back into a stern bun that rivalled McGonagall’s, stood in front of the Potions Master. She was acutely aware of everyone watching her, as she stood at the centre of the dais.

The nick in her left palm that had provided the blood for her signature hurt. Contact with Nagini’s venom had left her hands incredibly sensitive. McGonagall rolled up the parchment and nodded to her.

Time for her oath.

Hermione swallowed hard and began, her voice shrill and shaky in her ears.

‘ I, Hermione Jean Granger, swear to you, Severus Snape, my master, that I shall serve you well and faithfully in all matters of craft, lore, magic and mystery,’ she gasped for breath, ‘to obey your command in thought, word and deed, and to protect and to honour you and your secrets in thought, word and deed in accordance to this indenture.’

Her voice wobbled slightly, but she continued, ‘I swear to be true in my search for knowledge and to strive for excellence in all matters of craft, lore, magic and mystery. May my words and deeds always reflect my honour and respect for you.’

Black eyes met hers, captured her gaze. She found she couldn’t look away as Severus Snape began to whisper his part of the oath:

‘I, Severus Snape, for my part swear to you, Hermione Jean Granger, my apprentice, to provide support, opportunity and guidance for all your endeavours in the matters of craft, lore, magic and mystery, to never abuse or exploit my position in accordance to this indenture, but to meet service, honour and respect you extend to me in equal terms, and that I shall defend you with all of my powers for as long as you are dependant unto me in accordance to this indenture. As a token of the bond of apprentice unto master and master unto apprentice I give you my badge so all may know in whose service you are.’

Although he spoke very slowly, the sounds pressed and obviously painful, he never wavered. When he had ended, he pulled something from his sleeve and stepped closer to her. Hermione shivered as he reached for her, attaching a green and silver badge to the lapels of her robes with remarkably gentle fingers.

Hermione was glad that Minerva had prepared her for what would happen next, or she would have certainly flinched away. She was trembling and her hands were shaking, as she inched closer towards him and raised her head to meet his lips.

The darkness of his eyes seemed to swallow her, but she still couldn’t break free from his gaze. Then, very softly, she felt a velvet brush of lips on her mouth.

The kiss concluded the ceremony.

She was now apprentice to Severus Snape, Master of Potions, Potions master at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.